Typically, police, tactical, and/or military forces use flashlights and/or spotlights for illuminating dark areas anticipated to have hostile subjects. Flashlights are typically designed to be physically held by or attached to the user, e.g., by hand, hat, belt, clothing, glove, shield, gun, etc. This physical attachment of the flashlight to the user can render the user as a target attracting weapon fire and the attention of hostile subjects. Similarly, police and military forces use vehicle-mounted spotlights to illuminate dark areas, such as alleys and lots. Again, the physical attachment of a spotlight to a vehicle renders the spotlight relatively immobile, restraining several degrees of freedom of the light, and tethering the user to the vehicle and spotlight.
Moreover, user- and vehicle-mounted lights often prevent police and military forces from being able to illuminate areas before entering them. For instance, if a police officer is entering a dark home, or if a military unit is turning a dark corner, the dark home or corner will not be illuminated until the forces have entered the dark area, thereby subjecting the forces to potential danger or surprise. Furthermore, existing flashlights and spotlights are typically either on or off, which reduces the ability of military and law enforcement officers to customize and tailor the timing of turning on and off their tactical lighting devices.
Thus, a need exists for providing police, tactical, and/or military forces with light sources that overcome the drawbacks of existing systems.